RV park proposal back in play; Public comment deadline Wednesday

It appears that a permit which was denied in 2010 for an RV Park at Duncan Bay, may be back in play and public comment on the issue expires Wednesday.

By Richard Croftonrichard@cheboygantribune.com

It appears that a permit which was denied in 2010 for an RV Park at Duncan Bay, may be back in play and public comment on the issue expires Wednesday.Land developer Todd Wyett has been working with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality on a proposed settlement regarding its application.“We have been working on this for two years to impact the wetlands as little as possible,” said Wyett. “We have it now to where less than one acre will be affected.”When the project started out, 3.75 acres of wetland was going to be involved, but according to the proposed settlement, that amount is down to a total of 1.07 acres.“We have been in negotiations with Mr. Wyett and numerous plans have been submitted based on impacts,” said DEQ District Representative Scott Rasmusson. “Even if this is improved, he is not done yet. He needs to go to the Army Corps of Engineers.”Rasmusson said the Corps stopped working on the process in 2010 when the state denied the original permit. He said if the state approves the application, then the Corps will begin its review process.The district representative said the original permit was denied because the DEQ felt things were not minimized enough, but with the reduction of wetland being affected, the minimization requirement has been met.“We will be replacing more wetland than what we will be taking,” Wyett said. “We will be replacing what we use with wetlands across the street.”However, not everyone is pleased the DEQ is reconsidering the application.The Cheboygan Democratic Party has filed a response to the application with Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Wyant.“We are opposed to the establishment of a recreational vehicle park on 35 acres of wetlands on the shore of Duncan Bay,” stated Leonard Page in the party’s response. “There are many available properties in Cheboygan with views of water, including Lake Huron and Duncan Bay — at very reasonable prices.”Wyett said it is not that easy and the property wanting to be developed is already owned by his group.“It would be liking wanting to put a house up on somebody else’s lot,” he said. “We are involving less wetlands now.”Page continues on in his response, “How close to the water must the proposed RV park be to attract vacationers?” He concluded with a phrase from the song “Big Yellow Taxi”, “Let’s not ‘pave paradise to up a parkin’ lot.’”Part of the revised plan calls for the reduction of spaces for Rvs. The original proposal was for 103 spaces and that now has been reduced to 98. There also would be a boardwalk and wood chip path. Roads and lots also will be relocated.“This will have an economic impact on the community by bringing in several million dollars a year,” Wyett said. “It is estimated that each person that comes into town at the park will spend about $26 a day. I have people who keep calling and asking when we are going to start.”Another group that has filed its request for denial is the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council.The group listed several reasons why the request should be denied including that the group wishing to construct the RV park also owns 45 acres across the street from the area and is a better alternative site, protection of the Great Lakes’ wetlands are needed for the health of the lakes and oversight will be needed to make sure the Dwarf Lake Iris is relocated properly.“The permit should be denied because it is not wetland dependent; destruction of these wetlands is not the in public interest; it results in unacceptable disruption aquatic resources; and there are feasible and prudent alternatives available,” wrote T.O.M Policy Director Grenetta Thomassey. “Instead of being asked to make a false choice between either helping keep the Cheboygan shoreline healthy and beautiful, or growing our economy, we can do both.”Wyett said if approval can be obtained on all the permits, he hopes to break ground some time this fall.